Change Junkie Ann Austin On Shifting Commitments & How to Turn the Dial

Ann Austin joins the show today, and it's a great pleasure and a lot of fun. Ann is someone I've known for well over a decade now, and she's been plying her trade and craft in the corporate sustainability field for more than two decades. From when saying the word was met with either confusion or scorn back in 2004 to where things are at today. I like to think the scorn is now largely gone, but the confusion certainly remains for many - what do you mean sustainability means changing? Ann and I get into that today, her dedication to attempting to be and being a change agent, learning the art and science of what that involves and how her commitment to building healthy relationships has been a critical component of her working philosophy.

I have come to anticipate and enjoy these types of conversations with people who have been in the field and on the frontlines of internal organisational change efforts. I find solace and relief in their experiences as it allows me to better appreciate and realise that it hasn't been and isn't just me in a state of what feels like constant struggle to get these enormous systems and machines out of states of inertia and towards positive and hopeful action. I learnt plenty from Ann in this chat, much like I did in similar ones with Lee Stewart, Cameron Tonkinwise and Jess Miller. So much of my experience this year has been in the imperfect and unique ways by which everyone in this community is attempting to do different versions of the same things - attempting to get others on the bandwagon to go from unsustainable daily practices and dangerous futures to sufficient daily practices and healthy futures.

The rest of the year's events are being listed regularly - head to humanitix online and search for finding nature - hit follow so that you get automatically notified of listings and access to ticket sales, especially for the early bird savings opportunities.

One last place you can sign up is at  findingnature.substack.com where each month I publish a series of contributions from other professionals working in the sustainability and impact fields on what motivates them, their philosophies and how that informs their daily lives. The most recent edition was published on the topic of help - the obvious necessity that it is for me, you and everyone else, but also the difficulty and torment it can bring up in exhibiting vulnerability and honesty when it's asked for or accepted. It's a great edition, and personally I loved being able to refer to Wayne Junior Pearce about ten times. Give it a read, offer a comment and share it to those who you think might enjoy it.

The November edition is Hope - and with the next Cop rapidly coming down the content streams, I think it's something we might need a bit of. Ann spoke about the roll of planting seeds, and this quote from author Jessica Joyce is apt “hope starts with a seed.”

Til next time, thanks for listening.

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